Today, Russian entrepreneurs told Vladimir Putin about their difficulties of the kind never encountered by their Americans colleagues. The conversation about bureaucratic impediments took place during Putin's visit of several sites of the Agency of Strategic Initiatives. It supports breakthrough projects, some of which were shown to the head of the state today. Do eight failures justify two successes? Are entrepreneurs facing twenty years in prison? These are examples of questions that Putin was asked.
Andrey Grigoriev is reporting.
A worker easily lifts a 30-kg barrel (66 pounds) because he's wearing an industrial exoskeleton: a marvelous skeleton that can be used for both medical and production applications is being shown to the president today. There's no stress on the back, and the hands are free. Like armor, it protects against excessive stress load, almost doubles endurance, or even gives an extra arm.
Dmitry Kopylov, CEO of Exorise: "It's a third arm with a planetary reduction gear, which helps unscrew tough, over-acidified nuts".
The entrepreneurs who work in the field of high technology need special treatment, yet, in many aspects, even some legal issues haven't been harmonized. They have to find creative solutions.
Andrey Belousov, Aide to the President: "There might be eight failures, but they are compensated for by two successful attempts. But our legal system, unfortunately, is arranged in a way that makes it possible for a researcher to end up with a 20-year prison sentence for these failures funded from the budget".
Vladimir Putin: "Of course, there should be some restrictions. It's clear that you just can't keep failing for eternity. Nevertheless, I can assure you that, from my own experience, I know the cases when, despite numerous repeated failures, in the end, we found the right solution by supporting research that yielded a very good result for the country".
Only innovative business projects are being demonstrated to the president today, the ones completed for the first time in the country.
A private space company is something that was unthinkable not too long ago. Only states that are best equipped technologically could create artificial satellites. Now, it looks more like Legos. You can take a versatile platform and install any equipment. This is a launch-ready satellite in a standard case. Five of these Russian-made satellites are already in orbit. This is footage of launching one of them to space from the ISS. But there are often bureaucratic impediments in the way.
Vladimir Ivanenko, CEO of SPUTNIKS: "Let's make Elon Musk acquire military approval, an FSB license, and submit a report concerning Radiation Standards requirements. That's it, the cosmos is ours".
Vladimir Putin: "I can assure you, there's quite enough red tape there too. If you listen to them, they complain about it all the time. But it doesn't mean that we don't need to work to overcome the bureaucratic barriers. So, for our dialogue to be productive, to formulate it in a precise manner, tell me what are the exact impediments? And I'll try to have it analyzed on the cabinet level so that all the barriers that hinder you from advancing are eliminated. Is everything formulated here? Why there? Give it to me. Why this red tape? An extra link. Dima, give it to me".
In Russia, upon the president's order, a dedicated digital platform was developed that enables business people to whistleblow about pressure from law enforcement agencies.
Vladimir Putin: "It isn't going easily. I know how some of my colleagues to these proposals. But I'd like to assure you that I'll do everything I can for this system to be implemented. I can't see anything dangerous for law enforcement about this, apart from one thing: it'll make the law enforcement system more efficient".
By the way, it's the Agency of Strategic Initiatives that is developing the platform.
Svetlana Chupsheva, CEO of the Agency of Strategic Initiatives: "When we visit regions and meet business people, everyone reacts very positively to this solution, and can't wait for it to become available".
Talented young people are eager to start businesses, even though many of them have received their passports already, their rights are still limited.
Dmitry Reznikov, Agency of Strategic Initiative for Promotion of New Projects: “When a person is under 18, while he's still a high school or a full-time university student, he can't be the director of a company he's founded, which is actually his business".
Vladimir Putin: "I'm fully on your side, and I'd like to de-bureaucratize as much as possible everything that prevents young people, including those that are underage, from properly participating in business activity".
The Agency of Strategic Initiatives helps to find funding and overcome administrative barriers. It's a mediator between hi-tech business and the state.
Andrey Grigoriev, Yulia Brilyova, Alexandra Terpugova, Alexander Malyshev, and Semyon Shapchenko, Vesti.
